Asheville, North Carolina: The Ultimate Foodie’s Guide

We finished off one of THE absolute best years in Asheville with a few best friends by our side, freezing cold temperatures, mountain views and enjoying one too many craft brews with a side of biscuits.  Located a short, three hour drive from Atlanta, Asheville is the perfect weekend getaway destination anytime of the year.

Our NYE weekend was spent indoors with icy roads and sliding cars on the roads outdoors. This didn’t stop us from exploring all that downtown as to offer. With only slightly over 48 hours in town, we could only check-out a fraction of our ‘to-dos’ but here are just a few of our favorite finds.

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK IN ASHEVILLE:

DRINK:

• Sierra Nevada Brewery: 30-35 minutes outside of downtown and a perfect pitstop if you are driving up from Atlanta. This brewery did not disappoint and was by far the largest brewery I have ever stepped foot in.. The food options were all tasty, great beer selection no matter what your preference, a huge outdoor space with a fire pit and an upstairs sitting area with corn hole and more gathering space.
• Catawba Brewing Co.: Located directly next door to Buxton BBQ  in South Slope, the beer selection at Catawba Brewing was great. I am no connoisseur but there was something for everybody in our group.
• Bhramari Brewing Company: Good atmosphere. Here, there was a large selection of sour beers if you are into that.
• Wicked Weed Brewery: Definitely one of the most well-known breweries in Asheville and for good reason. This 2-story brewery is located right downtown, has plenty of delicious beers on tap and a delicious food menu to top it all off. Wicked Weed specializes in “west coast inspired hoppy ales, Belgian beers and sours” and I have yet to find a beer that I did NOT enjoy while visiting.
• The Grove Park Inn: Although I’ve never been lucky enough to stay at this stunning hotel, I always try to make a trip there for the scenic mountain views, a warm cup of coffee (or glass of wine) and heating up by the massive wood burning fire place. If you have time, check out Elaine’s Dueling Piano Bar for some evening entertainment.

EAT:

• En La Calle: Sadly since we visited in 2016, En La Calle has permanently closed. However, I would still highly recommend a visit to their sister bar to Limones..  The cocktails were all mouthwateringly delicious at En La Calle so I can only imagine the same goes for Limones which is a mix of Mexican and and “French-influenced California cuisine”.
• Curate ** This place is a MUST visit. We had high expectations considering all of the hype we heard beforehand and our New Years Eve dinner went above and beyond those expectations. We went with the “Spanish Experience” and put our order choices into the waiters’ hands. A few smooth bottles of Red wines and a tapas medley was the perfect way to finish out 2017. Skirt steak, charcuterie, shrimp, lamb skewers .. and the list goes on. Curate books up quick so make reservations at least a few weeks in advance.
• Green Sage Cafe: Healthy, vegan and vegetarian options. A great spot to rejuvenate after one too many brewery stops the night before!
• Double D’s Coffee: On a cold winter day, nothing beats warming up on the 2nd story of a double decker bus posted up right downtown with a hot cup of coffee in hand.
• Tupelo Honey: The ‘original’. Biscuits, homemade jam, mouthwatering stacks of pancakes. It’s a must-try if you have not been to one in your own town.
• Biscuit Head:  My number one tip is to get here early! The line is no joke. We got to Biscuit Head on New Years Eve morning at 9:20AM, 20 minutes after they opened and the line was out the door. Try their Mimosa Chicken Biscuit (Fried Chicken, a giant biscuit and sriracha slaw) and their Pulled Pork Biscuit (complete with a healthy dose of pimento cheese). Go hungry, leave stuffed!
• Buxton Hall BBQ: This spot has won many awards for their outstanding BBQ. They also have live music on occasion and it is located conveniently in South Slope right next to Catawba Brewery.